Past and Present Collaborators
- Mounia Akl
- Nathalie Álvarez Mesen
- Anca Damian
- Bassel Gandhour
- Ognjen Glavonić
- Magnus von Horn
- Boo Junfeng
- Etienne Kallos
- Alexa Karolinski
- Nicole Jaramillo
- AnnA Llargués
- Pia Marais
- Valerie Massadian
- Călin Peter Netzer
- Susana Nobre
- Valérie Osouf
- Adina Pintilie
- Łukasz Ronduda
- Marcela said
- Petr Václav
- Eirini Vianelli
- Said Zagha
Mounia Akl is a Lebanese director and screenwriter with a degree in architecture from Alba in Beirut and an MFA from Columbia University in New York. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Her first feature film, Costa Brava, Lebanon (with Nadine Labaki and Saleh Bakri), based on her short film Submarine (Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016), premiered in 2021 in the official selection of the Venice Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. At its Egyptian premiere at the El Gouna Film Festival, it won both the Fipresci Prize and the Green Star Award. It was distributed in the U.S. by Kino Lorber and later on Netflix. With this script, Mounia participated in the Sundance Lab, the Résidence de la Cinéfondation in Cannes and the Torino Film Lab.
Mounia also participated in the Directors’ Fortnight Lebanon Factory with a short film presented at Cannes in 2017.
Mounia has also taught directing and acting at Columbia University, Northwestern University and Temple University.
She has since directed series for television (most recently the BBC Studios series Boiling Point with Stephen Graham and The Responder with Martin Freeman).
You can hold me (if you want), produced by GAÏJIN, will be her second feature film.
Nathalie Álvarez Mesén is a Costa Rican-Swedish screenwriter/director. Her debut feature film Clara Sola premiered in Cannes 2021 in the Directors’ Fortnight section.
She started her career in physical theater in Costa Rica before pursuing her B.F.A. degree in Mime Acting at the Stockholm University of the Arts in Sweden. Nathalie later graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program in NYC with an M.F.A. in Film Directing/Screenwriting.
An alumna of the Berlinale Talents, TIFF Filmmaker Lab and NYFF Artist Academy, Nathalie’s shorts have screened at film festivals all over the world. Her short, Filip, won Best Film Under 15 Minutes at the 2016 Palm Springs Shortfest, and Asunder, screened at the 2016 Telluride Film Festival.
Nathalie also co-wrote Entre tù y milagros, winner of the Orizzonti Award for Best Short in the Venice Film Festival 2020 and she began developing her second feature, The wolf will tear your immaculate hands that won the Eurimages Co-production Development Award at the Torino ScriptLab 2021. Recently, she directed an episode for Showtime’s Three Women, premiering the fall of 2024.
Anca Damian is a Romanian filmmaker renowned for her innovative blend of animation and documentary storytelling.
Born in Cluj-Napoca in 1962, she studied cinematography at the Bucharest National University of Theatre and Film and holds a PhD in Cinema and Media Arts.
Damian’s acclaimed works include Crulic – The Path to Beyond (2011), which won the Cristal for Best Feature Film at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, and Marona’s Fantastic Tale (2019), a poignant animated drama about a dog’s life and its unconditional love for its owners.
Her 2018 film Moon Hotel Kabul earned her the Best Director award at the Warsaw International Film Festival.
Damian continues to explore complex themes through her films, including her upcoming project, Starseed, focusing on albinism.
After graduating from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, Bassel wrote and produced Theeb, an Oscar-nominated film and winner of a BAFTA.
His debut feature as a director, The Alleys, had its world premiere on the Piazza Grande at the Locarno Film Festival before being selected for the London (BFI) and Rotterdam festivals. The film then achieved great success on Netflix in the Arab world, reaching number one in Jordan for four consecutive weeks and remaining in the top 10 for nine weeks.
Bassel also directed Chasing Dreams, a six-episode documentary series about football, filmed over a period of four years in Jordan, Brazil, and Qatar.
He currently resides in London, where he is developing his upcoming projects, set both in the UK and the Arab world.
Ognjen Glavonić was born in 1985 in Pančevo, Yugoslavia. He studied at the University of Fine Arts in Belgrade, graduating in filmmaking in 2011.
His student short films Toast, Zivan Pujic Jimmy and Rythm Guitar, Backing Vocal have been widely acclaimed, and his graduation film Made of Ashes (2012) won the Jury’s Special Mention at the Novi Sad Film Festival in Serbia, before being screened at numerous international festivals.
Zivan makes a punk festival, his first feature-length documentary, received its world premiere at the 2014 Festival Cinéma du Réel. It subsequently screened at over 40 international festivals, including IFF Rotterdam (2015), IndieLisboa (2015), CPH:DOX (2014). His second documentary film Depth two, was presented at the Berlinale Forum in 2016.
The load, his third feature and first fiction film, was presented at the Directors’ Fortnight in 2018, before traveling to over fifty festivals around the world. It was distributed in France by Nour Films, under the title Teret.
Ognjen Glavonic is also director and co-founder of the Pancevo International Film Festival in Serbia.
Magnus von Horn, born on December 21, 1983, in Gothenburg, is a Swedish-Polish film director and screenwriter known for his bold and psychologically intense storytelling.
After moving to Poland, he studied at the renowned National Film School in Łódź, graduating in 2013.
A traumatic robbery shortly after his arrival sparked a deep interest in themes of violence and human behavior, which became central to his early work.
His first project was a short documentary focusing on a young Polish criminal, setting the tone for the raw and intimate style he would later refine. In 2011, his short film Without Snow earned a Guldbagge Award nomination for Best Short Film.
Von Horn’s feature debut, The Here After, premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, earning critical praise for its stark portrayal of guilt and reintegration.
His second film, Sweat, was selected for the 2020 Cannes lineup, though the festival was ultimately cancelled due to the pandemic.
Most recently, his third feature, The Girl with the Needle, premiered in competition for the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, cementing his reputation as a filmmaker of striking vision and emotional depth.
Boo Junfeng trained in film schools in Singapore and Spain before making award-winning short films such as KATONG FUGUE (2007) and KELUAR BARIS (HOMECOMING), both of which were at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival. His 2009 short TANJONG RHU premiered in Berlin Panorama.
In 2010, his directorial feature debut SANDCASTLE (2010) was selected at Cannes Critics’ Week, and was screened at Toronto, London, Busan and others. He also contributed the short PARTING for the SG50 commemorative film 7 LETTERS, which premiered at Busan Film Festival in 2015. APPRENTICE (2016), his second feature, premiered at Cannes in Un Certain Regard and screened at 80 festivals, winning prizes at Busan, Fribourg, Taipei Golden Horse and others. It was Singapore’s official entry to the Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category in 2017.
Boo was the first recipient of the McNally Award for Excellence in the Arts – the valedictorian honour of LASALLE College of the Arts in 2008. He was also accorded the Young Artist Award (2009) by the National Arts Council and the Singapore Youth Award (2011) by the National Youth Council.
Since 2018, he is serving as the Creative Director of Singapore’s National Day Parade, the youngest person and the first full-time filmmaker to have been given the role.
TRINITY shall be his 3rd feature film.
Etienne Kallos is a Greek-South African filmmaker whose work delves into themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of coming-of-age within diasporic contexts.
Born in 1972 in South Africa, Kallos studied theatre locally before pursuing film studies at New York University’s graduate program. His early career includes acclaimed short films such as No Exit (2006), Doorman (2006), and Firstborn (2009), the latter of which made history as the first Afrikaans-language film to win the Golden Lion for Best Short Film at the Venice Film Festival.
In 2018, Kallos expanded his storytelling to feature films with Die Stropers (The Harvesters), a psychological drama set in South Africa’s Free State region. The film explores the tension between two boys vying for affection and identity within a conservative Afrikaner farming community. The Harvesters premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and garnered several accolades, including the Sundance/Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award and Best First Feature at the Rome Film Festival .
Kallos’s work is characterized by its introspective approach to storytelling, often focusing on the internal struggles of individuals facing cultural and familial expectations. His films have been showcased at prestigious festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Thessaloniki, Telluride, and Cannes, reflecting his distinctive voice in contemporary cinema. Currently, Kallos is an external PhD candidate at the Academy of Creative and Performing Arts at Leiden University.
Alexa Karolinski (born 1984, Berlin) is a versatile creator known for her work as an author, director, and producer in various fields including music videos, commercials, film and television.
Already during her Master in Social Documentary Film at the New York’s School of Visual Arts, she worked on the soon-to-be breakthrough film project Oma & Bella which debuted at the Berlinale and earned Alexa the prestigious Grimme Prize. Her following documentary Lebenszeichen (2018), a thought-pro-voking documentary exploring Jewish and non-Jewish relationships in Germany, also received great critical acclaim, described it as « The German-Jewish work of its generation » by Der Spiegel.
Karolinski is also the co-creator, co-writer and producer of the miniseries Unorthodox (2020), which made history on Netflix as its first Yiddish production. She received six Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Miniseries and Screenplay, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Directing of a Miniseries. The series was nominated for the Bafta, the Golden Globes and many other awards. It won the Grimme Award in the fiction category, the German Television Award, the Independent Spirit Award and more.
Currently, Alexa splits her time between Los Angeles, where she is working on a new series and raising her twins, and Berlin. Here she is close to her family and planning her next project.
Nicole Jaramillo was born in Panama and currently splits her time between Paris and Madrid, where she balances her career as a writer with her work as an advertising executive.
Her creative journey began over fifteen years ago when she moved to Spain, a country where she knew no one. Writing became a vital outlet for her, providing a space to both unburden herself and engage with the world around her.
In addition to her literary pursuits, Jaramillo has built a successful career in advertising, where she writes and produces slogans, visual elements, and video spots for communications agencies.
In 2019, she published her first novel, Acepto ser yo, an autofiction told in the first person that explores themes of coming out, immigration, and self-acceptance.
As she began writing her second novel, Jaramillo’s desire to direct emerged as a natural extension of her storytelling. This led to the creation of her first short film, Pesca, a project that was conceived through imagery rather than words, reflecting her struggle to articulate the film’s themes through text alone. She shot Pesca in June 2024, with the support of ICAA and CNC.
Nicole Jaramillo continues to explore the intersections of her creative passions, bringing a unique perspective to both literature and film.
Second Breath wil be her first feature film.
Anna Llargués was born in Barberà del Vallès in 1999. She graduated from ESCAC, specializing in directing, and later completed a postgraduate degree in audiovisual editing and montage at BSM-UPF. Llargués began her directing career at the age of 19 with the micro-documentary Àvia, which received an award from Cultura Inquieta.
Her latest work, Trenc d’alba, is a fiction short film that she wrote and directed as her final project at ESCAC. The film premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in the La Cinef section and received a Special Mention in the “Espiga Verde” award at the 68th Seminci.
It has been selected for approximately thirty national and international festivals, including D’A in Barcelona, Raindance in London, Atlàntida Mallorca Film Fest, the Molodist International Film Festival in Kyiv, and Márgenes in Madrid, and is currently a candidate for the GOYA 2024.
Currently, Llargués teaches at ESCAC while working on her first feature film, De Fang, and her second short film, Àvia Peix, both of which are produced by Mayo Films.
Pia Marais is a South African-Swedish writer and director whose work spans both fiction and documentary cinema. Over the course of her career, she has written and directed four feature films, establishing a distinct voice in international filmmaking.
Her debut feature, The Unpolished, garnered critical acclaim and was awarded the prestigious Tiger Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2007. This marked the beginning of a successful festival presence for her work.
In 2010, her second feature, At Ellen’s Age, was selected for the main competition at the Locarno Film Festival and went on to screen at over 30 international festivals, including Toronto.
Marais returned to her roots with Layla Fourie (2013), a suspenseful drama set in South Africa. The film premiered in Competition at the Berlinale and received a Special Jury Mention, further cementing her reputation as a compelling storyteller. Expanding her creative range, she directed her first documentary, Cari Compagni, for Arte in 2018.
Transamazonia marks her fourth feature film, continuing her exploration of complex narratives and diverse settings.
Valerie Massadian is a French-Armenian photographer and filmmaker known for her evocative work exploring female characters and their intrinsic connection to nature and the world around them. Her unique cinematic style blurs the lines between fiction and reality, creating a space where the boundaries of storytelling are redefined.
Massadian’s first feature film, Nana (2010-2012), won several prestigious awards, including the Opera Prima/Best First Feature Film at the Festival del Film Locarno and Best International Film at the Festival Internacional de Cine de Valdivia. Her follow-up film, Milla (2016-2017), continued her success, winning the Special Jury Prize and the Eurimages « Audentia » Best Director Award at the Festival del Film Locarno, as well as the Grand Prix at DOCLISBOA.
In addition to her feature films, Massadian has directed several short films and installations, such as America (2013), Ninouche (2013), Precious (2014), and Mamoushka (2014, 2018). Her recent works include Ire (2021), presented at FID Marseille, and the installation Care (2023) for Core Dance’s REEL Art Series and Villa Albertine.
Beyond her films, Valerie Massadian has contributed to various artistic collaborations and publications, including editing projects with renowned photographer Nan Goldin, and participating in literary and filmic compilations. She was also a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study at Harvard University from 2015 to 2016, where she further developed her innovative approach to visual storytelling.
Throughout her career, Valerie Massadian has demonstrated a deep commitment to exploring the complexity of her subjects, focusing particularly on the untamed aspects of femininity and their symbiotic relationship with the world around them. Her body of work stands as a testament to her vision and artistic prowess, continually pushing the boundaries of cinema and art.
picture ©mel massadian
Călin Peter Netzer stands out as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Romanian cinema, known for his ability to weave the personal and the political into deeply resonant narratives.
Born in Petroșani in 1975 to a family of Romanian and German heritage, he emigrated to West Germany in his childhood, only to return to Romania in the mid-1990s to study film directing in Bucharest.
From his debut feature Maria (2003), which earned acclaim at the Locarno International Film Festival, Netzer has demonstrated a sharp eye for social nuance and emotional depth. His international breakthrough came with Child’s Pose (2013), a masterful exploration of maternal control and moral ambiguity that won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film also represented Romania at the Academy Awards, solidifying Netzer’s place on the global stage.
With subsequent works like Ana, mon amour and Familiar, he continues to delve into the complexities of human relationships and identity, offering a cinema that is both introspective and socially engaged.
Susana Nobre is a Portuguese filmmaker known for her intimate and socially engaged cinema, often blending fiction and documentary.
Born in Lisbon in 1974, she studied communication sciences in Portugal and later film directing at the London Film School.
Founding member of the independent production company Terratreme Filmes, she has established herself as a key figure in contemporary cinema with several critically acclaimed films, including Common Ground (2018), Jack’s Ride (2021), and Cidade Rabat (2023).
Her work is distinguished by a deep exploration of themes such as memory, labor, and everyday life, often intertwined with personal and social narratives. Jack’s Ride won numerous awards, solidifying her presence on the international scene, while Cidade Rabat was particularly praised for its sensitivity, earning recognition at the Berlin Film Festival as well as at Caminhos do Cinema Português.
Through her films, Nobre brings to light both intimate and collective stories, thus enriching the landscape of Portuguese and global cinema.
Valérie Osouf is a French filmmaker, journalist, and curator known for her impactful documentaries exploring post-colonial themes. After a chaotic education, she moved to Senegal, where she lived for nine years and made her first film, Sans Commentaire, le pays où l’on n’arrive jamais (1996), a 16mm documentary about people expelled from France under the Pasqua/Debré laws. In Dakar, she completed a master’s in journalism and studied drama while working for various media outlets.
Returning to Paris, Osouf developed projects on colonial history and completed a screenplay program at La Fémis. In 2008, she co-directed Cameroun : Autopsie d’une Indépendance, a historical documentary that won the Audience Award at the Pessac International History Film Festival. Her first feature-length documentary, L’Identité Nationale (2012), critically examined the contradictions of French republican universalism.
Osouf continued to create documentaries, including Je te le rappelle, Tu t’en souviens (2014), and produced a portrait of filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, which was shown internationally. She co-founded Granit Films and has taught at the Beijing Film Academy and Cinéfabrique. As a curator, she co-curated the Tigritudes film series, highlighting pan-African and Afro-diasporic cinema.
Since 2021, Osouf has been part of the artist collective L’École des Mutants, exhibiting internationally. In 2024, she plans to shoot a nocturnal motorcycle film in Kigali, Rwanda, continuing her exploration of complex socio-political themes.
Adina Pintilie is a filmmaker, visual artist, and curator based in Germany and Romania. On the fluid border between reality and fiction, her works emerge from artistic research processes with a profound social impact, standing out through radical aesthetics and a bold uncompromising exploration of the human psyche.
Her feature film Touche me not won the Golden Bear at the 2018 Berlinale, was nominated for the European Discovery Award at the European Film Academy Awards, and was released theatrically in over 40 territories. It screened in major festivals and cultural institutions such as MoMA New York, ICA Institute of Contemporary Art London, BOZAR Bruxelles, BFI London, IDFA Amsterdam, Toronto Film Festival, Viennale, Harvard Film Archive, Karlovy Vary, Sydney Film Festival, and many others. It was positively reviewed in the New York Times, Hollywood Reporter, Indiewire, Los Angeles times, Sight & Sound, Télérama, Les Inrockuptibles, Die Welt, Die Zeit, and many others.
Her work Don’t get me wrong premiered in Locarno 2007 – Filmmakers of the Present Competition, won the Golden Dove Award at Dok Leipzig and screened in over 50 international film festivals such as: Thessaloniki, Montpellier, Trieste, Namur, Documenta Madrid, Munchen, Moscow, Sarajevo, Warsaw, Krakow etc.
Her medium length work Oxygen premiered in Rotterdam Tiger Awards Shorts Competition 2010, screened in festivals like BAFICI Buenos Aires, Montpellier, Thessaloniki, Tampere etc. and was nominated for the Best Short Film Award at the Romanian Film Industry Awards 2011.
Her work DIARY#2 won the ZONTA Award at Oberhausen International Short Film Festival 2013, while her previous short SANDPIT#186 premiered in Locarno 2008 and won the Runner Up Award at Miami Film Festival 2009, among others.
As guest-artist / tutor, Adina Pintilie held masterclasses, workshops and lectures at universities and events such as KHM Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Berlinale Talents, Stockholm University of the Arts, York University Toronto, National University of Drama and Film Bucharest, SOURCES 2, Tehran Film Festival etc.
She has served as jury member at festivals and industry events such as Berlinale, Karlovy Vary, Goteborg Film Festival, Torino Filmlab, IDFA Amsterdam, Oberhausen, Dok Leipzig, Tampere, Lisbon etc.
She is a graduate of the National University of Drama and Film Bucharest – Cinema Department.
Łukasz Ronduda (born in 1976) is a Polish director, writer, art historian, and curator at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. With a PhD in Arts, Ronduda is also an academic lecturer and a graduate of the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Directing. His diverse background in film and the arts is reflected in his multidisciplinary approach to filmmaking.
Ronduda’s most recent film, All Our Fears (2021), garnered critical acclaim, winning five awards at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, including the prestigious Golden Lions for Best Picture and Best Cinematography. The film continued to receive recognition with seven nominations at the Polish Film Awards (Eagles) in 2022, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.
In 2017, Ronduda directed A Heart of Love, which premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and was showcased at the Berlin International Film Festival under the Forum Expanded section. The film also competed in the International Competition at the New Horizons Film Festival, further establishing Ronduda’s reputation in the international film circuit.
His earlier work, The Performer (2015), won the Special ‘THINK’ Award at the Berlinale Film Festival and competed in the Films on Art International Competition at the New Horizons Film Festival. The film also featured in the Visions Apart Competition at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia in 2015.
Łukasz Ronduda’s films are known for their unique blend of art and cinema, often reflecting his deep engagement with contemporary art and his curatorial expertise. His work explores the intersection of different art forms, and he is recognized for his thoughtful approach to both narrative and visual storytelling.
Marcela Said is a Chilean-French filmmaker known for her incisive exploration of Chile’s socio-political landscape, blending documentary and fiction to examine themes of power, memory, and historical trauma.
Born in Santiago in 1972, she studied aesthetics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and later earned a master’s degree in media and languages from the Sorbonne in Paris.
Said began her career with politically charged documentaries such as I Love Pinochet (2001) and El Mocito (2011), the latter focusing on a former torturer from Chile’s military dictatorship. Her first fiction feature, El Verano de los Peces Voladores (The Summer of Flying Fish, 2013), premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, depicting the tense coexistence between Chileans and Mapuches.
Her second feature, Los Perros (Mariana, 2017), was selected for the Cannes Critics’ Week and won the Best Film award in the Horizontes Latinos section at the San Sebastián Film Festival. The film delves into the legacy of impunity among Chile’s elite, particularly focusing on a former military officer involved in human rights abuses.
Marcela Said’s work is characterized by its unflinching examination of Chile’s historical and social complexities, offering a nuanced perspective on the nation’s ongoing struggles with its past.
Petr Václav is a Czech-French filmmaker known for his poignant and socially engaged cinema.
Born in Prague in 1972, he studied at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) and later attended La Fémis in Paris. He has been living in France since 2003 and holds dual Czech and French citizenship.
Václav’s debut feature, Marian (1996), won the Silver Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival and garnered several other international awards.
His subsequent films include Parallel Worlds (2001), The Way Out (2014), and We Are Never Alone (2016), each exploring themes of social marginalization and personal struggle.
The Way Out won seven Czech Lion awards, including Best Film, and was presented in the ACID section at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2022, Václav directed Il Boemo, a biographical film about Czech composer Josef Mysliveček. The film premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and was selected as the Czech entry for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards.
Václav’s work is characterized by its focus on marginalized communities and its exploration of complex social issues, often through intimate and character-driven narratives.
Eirini Vianelli (1985) is an award winning director / animator based in Athens Greece.
She studied Graphic Design (BAHons) at the University of the Arts London (Camberwell) in 2007 and received an MFA in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of the Arts in 2017. She is an Onassis Foundation Scholar.
Her short film Icebergs was Oscar qualified for 2018 after winning best animation short in San Francisco Film Festival. In 2018 she created the animation that works as a set for the Greek National Opera show of Lena Platono’s the Emperor’s Nightingale. Since then she has continued her work with the GNO with the Animal Assembly and Don Quichote ballet, while continuing to develop her personal films.
In 2018 she became an ARTWORKS fellow.
She works independently as an animator and director in films, music videos and commercials.
Said Zagha received his BA in English and Film from Ohio’s Kenyon College in 2011.
His debut narrative short film, Five Boys and a Wheel (2016), stars the acclaimed Palestinian actor Ali Suliman. It was shot in Aqaba, Jordan, with support from the Royal Film Commission and private Palestinian contributions. The film premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival, after which it went on to play at over 35 festivals worldwide. It is distributed by MAD Solutions and has won top awards at festivals in Mexico, Algeria, and Oman. With support from the Palestinian Ministry of Culture and the Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafi organisation, Said has just finished his upcoming short film, Lovesick in the West Bank.
He is also currently developing his first feature film, Weedestine, which participated in the Mediterranean Film Institute’s development program, the Med Film Factory, DFI’s producer’s lab and Chabaka at the Carthage Film Festival.
